A familiar name is returning to spring football as the Houston Gamblers named Kevin Sumlin the new head coach. This will be his second go-around with the team.
“Kevin Sumlin brings an excellent record of success at the head coaching level, especially in the state of Texas, where he has made his mark as a winner,” said UFL President & CEO Russ Brandon. “It is only appropriate that someone with deep roots in Texas football history takes over Houston as it embarks on a new era as the Gamblers.”
Kevin Sumlin is 61 years old from Brewton, Alabama. Sumlin was recently the associate head coach and co-offensive coordinator, and tight ends coach at the University of Maryland for two seasons (2023-24).
“Texas is my football home, so I look forward to returning to the state as Houston’s new head coach,” said Kevin Sumlin. “I will build a winning team and deliver an exciting brand of football, which the Gamblers name instantly evokes.”
As a player, Sumlin spent four seasons at Purdue University (1983-86) with 375 tackles (191 solos, 184 assists) and five interceptions in 44 games for the Boilermakers.
Sumlin began his coaching career in 1989 as a graduate student at Washington State until 1990. He moved to Wyoming to become the wide receivers coach from 1991 to 1992. In 1993, he took the same position at Minnesota until 1996 before moving up to quarterbacks coach in 1997.
In 1998, he returned to Purdue to become the wide receivers coach. He was there for three seasons before becoming the assistant head coach and wide receivers coach at Texas A&M in 2001. A year later, he added offensive coordinator duties on top of his other duties.
In 2003, he became a tight ends coach and special teams coach at Oklahoma for three seasons before he was promoted to Co-offensive coordinator in 2006. After the 2007 season, he was named head coach of the Houston Cougars. From 2008 to 2011, he led the Cougars to a 35-17 record, appearing in two Armed Forces Bowls in 2008 and 2009, winning one in 2008 over Air Force. The Air Force would get their revenge a year later. Sumlin was named a two-time Conference USA Coach of the Year in 2009 and 2011.
Sumlin left Houston to become the head coach of Texas A&M in 2012. He led the Aggies to a 51-26 record, winning the Cotton Bowl, Chick-fil-A Bowl, and the Liberty Bowl. He was named the SEC Coach of the Year in 2012. Texas A&M also made two more bowl appearances in the Music City Bowl and the Texas Bowl. Sumlin was let go after the 2017 season.
On January 14, 2018, he was named the head coach of the Arizona Wildcats. He did not have success there, going 9-20 in three seasons. He was let go on December 11, 2020.
Sumlin would get another coaching opportunity, this time as the new head coach of the Houston Gamblers when the USFL relaunched in 2022. Unfortunately, the Gamblers finished in last place with a 3-7 record in the South Division. He left after the 2022 season to coach in Maryland.
